Find out how popular the last name Safford is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Safford.

Safford, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Safford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Safford in America

Safford is the 10237th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Safford surname appeared 3,148 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Safford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Safford to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Safford

The surname Safford is of English origin, believed to have derived from the place name Salford, a town located in Greater Manchester, England. The name Salford is thought to come from the Old English words "salh" meaning "willow" and "ford" referring to a shallow crossing point across a river or stream.

Salford, as a place name, dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property commissioned by William the Conqueror. The town's name was recorded as "Salford" in this historical document.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Safford was William de Salford, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1246. The name was initially spelled in various ways, such as Salforth, Salford, and Saleford, before eventually settling on the more modern spelling of Safford.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Safford was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls for Staffordshire in 1327. This record suggests that the surname had spread beyond its original northern roots by this time.

During the 16th century, a prominent individual named Thomas Safford (born circa 1530) was a member of the English gentry and owned land in Shropshire. His descendants continued to hold prominent positions in the region for several generations.

Another notable bearer of the Safford surname was Sir John Safford (1588-1663), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Shropshire during the reign of King Charles I.

In the 18th century, a clergyman named Samuel Safford (1738-1807) gained recognition for his work as a Baptist minister and author in Massachusetts, United States. He published several theological works and was influential in the early Baptist movement in New England.

While the surname Safford has its roots in England, it has also been present in other parts of the world, particularly in North America, where many individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions in various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Safford

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Safford.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Safford was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Safford has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Safford was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Safford, please contact us.

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